Reigning world champion D Gukesh shocked Magnus Carlsen in the Norway Chess event on Sunday at Stavanger as he registered a come-from-behind win over the five-time world champion. Just when Gukesh was on the verge of losing, Gukesh caught Carlsen by surprise to beat him in a classical game for the first time during the round six of the event.
Gukesh jumped to the third spot with 8.5 points in the tournament and now trails the world No.1 Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana by just one point.
Despite being in a precarious position for much of the game, Gukesh capitalized on a rare blunder by Carlsen during a time scramble, securing a win in 62 moves after over four hours of intense play.
This victory was particularly significant for the 19-year-old Gukesh, who had suffered a defeat against Carlsen in the tournament's opening round.
Carlsen slams table in frustration after loss to Gukesh
Meanwhile, Carlsen made his frustration public after his loss to Gukesh. He was seen slamming the table in frustration before leaving the venue without addressing the media. Gukesh, on the other hand, remained composed and refrained from speaking to the press. His coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, commented on the significance of the win, stating that it would provide Gukesh with a substantial confidence boost for the remainder of the tournament and future encounters with Carlsen.
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"It (win) just gives a huge pump of confidence (to Gukesh) because once you've done it, you know you can do it again. And that's the plan," said Gajewski.
He was asked whether Gukesh's win would serve as a confidence booster on other Indian players. He said it certainly does. "And for the tournament (Norway Chess) that's going ahead, it gives him (Gukesh) a bump. Hopefully we can break another unbreakable margin. Perfect," said the Pole.
The tournament continues to be fiercely competitive, with Gukesh's victory tightening the race for the top spot as it enters its final rounds
